VANCOUVER, Wash. — For the final time during the 2021 spring season, Saint Mary's Women's Rowing will put boats in the water. In the last race of the season, the Gaels will head to Vancouver for the second time and take part in the 2021 WCC Championship. All seven teams from the conference will be represented at Vancouver Lake, where the Gaels will look to finish among the best in the West Coast Conference.
 
THE DETAILS
2021 WCC Championship
Saturday, May 15 – races start at 8:40 am
Vancouver Lake – Vancouver, Wash.
 
THE SCHEDULE
8:40 am: II Four Race
9:00 am: I Four Race
9:20 am: II Eight Race
9:40 am: I Eight Race
 
LAST TIME OUT
It's been a while since Saint Mary's competed against LMU and Santa Clara, which they did on April 24. Saint Mary's came closest in the varsity eight competition, where they raced against both LMU and Santa Clara. The Gaels put two boats into this race, and their top varsity eight lineup nearly pulled off the win against LMU, coming within five seconds of first place with a time of 7:05.96. The Gaels second varsity eight lineup pulled up with a time of 7:26.05. It was only Saint Mary's and LMU squaring off in the varsity fours, where LMU was able to take care of business against the Gaels.
 
WCC HISTORY
Saint Mary's is trying to break a streak of fifth-place finishes that goes back to 2016, when the Gaels finished fourth overall. Gonzaga comes in as the favorite to the championship, having won five in a row and 18 of the 23 WCC Championships that have been held since 1997. San Diego and LMU are also strong competitors that could challenge Gonzaga, and the Gaels have squared off against both the Toreros and Lions this year, so don't count SMC out.